The Other Demon
by yugiohmaniac
Summary: The group reaches Gold Saucer for a second time, but a sinister stalker is about to give Vincent an unwanted to reminder of his past... Rated M for slight violence but not gore.
1. The Man on the Hill

The Other Demon

~DISCLAIMER: I own none of the characters, concepts etc. as these belong to Square/Enix and this story is solely for entertainment purposes. An AU story wherein Vincent escapes Nibelheim during the experiments with the assistance of an OC…~

1. The Man on the Hill

After so long cooped up in the Tiny Bronco, they were all happy to be back on land, even if they were retreading familiar ground. Since they would be going through Corel village to get to the Gold Saucer, Cloud let Barrett take the rear of the group and watch all their backs. Even then, it was obvious that he was not looking forward to walking through his hostile hometown again.

For once, Cloud was glad they had Yuffie along to fill in the awkward silences as they walked across the vast plains of the continent.

'So is it true that the Saucer has fireworks that are as good as Wutai's?'

'Kid, if it's still like it was when it opened, the Saucer's fireworks are better than Wutai's.' Cid laughed as Yuffie glared at him. He replaced the cigarette in his mouth with a fresh one and toyed with its filter. 'Remind me- why're we going there again?'

Aeris glanced back at them. 'We've got to get the keystone before Sephiroth does.'

Yuffie pouted. 'So we can't play around a little?' Cloud caught Aeris' half-smile and sighed.

'You'll have to be quick. As long as we get the keystone, I guess an hour's break wouldn't hurt.'

At the back of the group, Tifa, Vincent and Barrett were all quiet. Barrett wanted to strike up a conversation with Tifa, but his distrust of the former Turk was preventing him from doing so. Tifa actually felt like engaging Vincent in conversation and prodding him to reveal more about his background, but every time she glanced over his red eyes seemed to be fixed in the distance and she forgot whatever it was she had been going to ask. Then her mind would wander back to Nibelheim Manor and she would wonder if Vincent had been down in the cellar during the burning of her hometown. Then she wondered where Vincent's hometown was.

'Hey, Vincent,' Tifa said. 'Where's your-?' She trailed off, seeing Vincent was paying her no attention whatsoever. He seemed to be looking at the mountains, his eyes wide and staring.

She followed his line of vision to the top of the valley they were in. Standing on the edge of the mountainous terrain was the figure of a man. From here, Tifa could just make out that he was tall, as tall as the mighty Sephiroth, before he turned and disappeared from sight. The others were looking at the pair of them with some curiosity. 'Vincent, do you know him?' The former Turk didn't reply.

'Something wrong, Tifa?' Cloud asked.

'There was a man watching us from up there.' She pointed at up to where he had been stood.

'Only one man? Big deal,' scoffed Barrett.

'Want me to throw my shuriken and scare him off?' Yuffie was already pulling the pointed star out and taking aim. Cid pushed the point down.

'Save it, kid. You'll never get it that high.'

Cloud squinted up at the mountains himself. From there, anyone could follow them and they'd probably be out of their line of vision most of the time. And, supposing they were a marksman, they could pick off any of the group. And there was still a fair way to go to get to Coral.

'Red?'

'Yes?' The feline stopped grooming himself and peered up at Cloud.

'Can you run up there quickly and catch hold of the man's scent?'

Red XIII gave a human-like nod and bounded up the mountain range with blinding speed. He stopped where the man had been, raised up on his hind legs, and extended his nose to the air. Then he went bounding back down before any of them could exchange a word.

'He smells familiar,' Red said.

'Can you keep a watch out for his scent and see if he is following us?' Cloud said. Red inclined his head in a nod. 'There. Now we'll know for sure.'

'Let me know when you want it taking care of,' sang Yuffie, skipping ahead of them on the path.

As they walked on, Tifa found herself glancing up at the mountains, her plan to extract information from Vincent all but forgotten.

The group split off into fragments as Tifa couldn't resist buying more supplies in Corel when they were so cheap. It was then that Red XIII sidled up to Cloud.

'Cloud?' Red said. Cloud was comparing his materia with some on sale in Corel and trying to determine why his seemed to be of a better quality.

'Maybe it's because I've used it so much…' he muttered, turning the orb in his hands.

'Cloud.'

'Hmm?'

'That man has been following us.'

Cloud looked up. 'You're sure?'

Red nodded. 'It was faint, but it was definitely there, like he was hanging back because he knew he'd been seen.' Red glanced backwards the way a human would look over their shoulder. 'And there's something else,' he growled softly. Cloud knelt down close by him.

'Go on.'

'The scent of the man…it was similar to the scent in Shinra manor. And it was most similar to Vincent's scent.' Red sat on his haunches, his head inclined to the side in thought. 'The man's was more subtle, but I knew I'd picked up on it somewhere before, and that's where it was. With Vincent, it's mostly metallic and the man's scent had that same bitter tang.'

Cloud rubbed Red between the ears. 'All right. We'll just have to be cautious. Keep watching for his scent so he can't take us by surprise, okay?' Red nodded and padded over to brush up against Aeris' legs. She giggled and patted him while he attempted to look too noble to be enjoying it.

Cloud stood and glanced across at Vincent. The words _bitter tang _bounced around the back of his mind. For whatever reason, those words made him think of the smell of mako.

They'd managed to get the keystone without a hitch, so Cloud felt their luck had somehow balanced out when the gondola turned out to be out of commission.

Cait Sith whirred up to them on his mechanical joints, seemingly unconcerned by the development. 'This often happens. Why don't we hunker down and get some rest at the hotel? They know me there.'

The group followed his directions down the chute to the Ghost Hotel, having all but forgotten the threat of their stalker.

Perhaps it was because of the slightly artificial smell of the place that Red didn't notice. But the man was there, peering out at the group, from behind the cover of the broken gondola. He waited a few minutes before asking the clerk how many hotels were in the immediate vicinity of the Ghost Hotel.

~If you're thinking Cait Sith's appearance is generally arbitrary, you'd be right. He's just there to make the story a bit more canon. This was originally one long piece, so if the chapter breaks seem oddly placed, that's why. But stick with it and it might hook you. All helpful critiques on writing style welcomed!~


	2. The Hotel

The Other Demon

~DISCLAIMER: I own none of the characters, concepts etc. as these belong to Square/Enix and this story is solely for entertainment purposes. An AU story wherein Vincent escapes Nibelheim during the experiments with the assistance of an OC…~

2. The Hotel

Meanwhile, the group was glad to relax in the common room after so many days of travel. Even though they tried not to show it, Yuffie's habit of rubbing her aching legs and complaining about their route summed up how they all felt. Tiredness made them all long for their beds, which were sure to be soft and comforting as befitted any of the hotels of resort towns they had stayed in before.

Vincent had listened to the group only half attentively, but he raised his head when Aeris divulged her knowledge of the Ancients.

That was when he noticed.

The man stood just out of sight outside the windows of the hotel. His gaze was fixed on Vincent, and his eyes were burning under his hood.

Then the man strode out of sight without as much as a backward glance.

Vincent came back into focus when Aeris dashed suddenly up the stairs to her room. After a second, the others began to chatter among themselves, showing no sign of following Aeris' lead and retiring.

Vincent glanced back at the window, expecting the man to reappear at any second. He looked back at the group, the costs of getting them involved foremost in his mind.

He turned to the captain next to him. 'Come on, Cid, let's go to our rooms.' Cid slid a glance at him, chewed on his cigarette in confusion, and then, thankfully, nodded.

Assuming that the largely silent man was opening up a little, Cid attempted to engage him in his one passion in life- namely, aircraft- and was surprised when he received half-hearted responses, as though the man was preoccupied. Cid eventually gave up and retired to his own room, wondering what it was about the Temple of the Ancients that seemed to have so many of them on edge. And Cid, never one to leave things be, decided to go bother Vincent until he started talking. He was sure that if Vincent was really a former Turk (as Barrett seemed to have no problem reminding them) then he might appreciate Cid's knowledge of the old planes that Shinra employees used to have to fly.

He crossed over to Vincent's room and found the door ajar.

'Hey, Vincent,' Cid boomed, 'D'you think-'

The room was empty. Cid frowned and scratched his nose. He glanced over the balcony to the lobby downstairs, but there was no-one around. Checking over his shoulder one more time, he slipped into the room.

It looked more or less unused. There wasn't any sign that Vincent had stayed in here longer than a second- he must have taken all his materia and weaponry with him to wherever he went.

And if he just wanted to have a secret late night gaming session in the Saucer, why would he do that?

Cid tilted his head back as he thought. Should he rouse the others? But what if Vincent was just vanishing to get the benefit of his own company and Cid was just misinterpreting his unease?

'Cid?'

Cid spun around to see Tifa standing behind him, her hair loose and a comb in one hand. 'Why'd you leave the door open? Aren't you going to bed?'

'Teef, this ain't my room. It's Vincent's.'

'Oh?' She peered around the door. 'Then where is he?'

'That's just what I was wondering. If he just wanted to roam around, why take his weapons?'

Tifa stared around the room, her brown eyes focused. Then she took a step. 'Cid, look.' She knelt down and rubbed her finger against the carpet. She brought it up for him to see. A fine powder coated her skin. 'It's gunpowder, isn't it?'

'And if there's gunpowder…'

'He must have been fine tuning a revolver,' finished Cid. The pair glanced at each other.

'The man on the hill, watching us,' Tifa said, standing up and brushing the powder off as she thought. 'Vincent never did answer me when I asked if he knew him.'

'Maybe we should leave it be.'

'Yeah, maybe.'

They both waited for only a few seconds before springing to tell Cloud.

Except his room was empty, too.

'Cloud left his sword and materia,' Cid pointed out. 'He's probably just checking out the Saucer, the sneaky piece.' Tifa bit her lip and was about to respond when Barrett appeared behind them.

'What's a matter?' he asked. 'Spiky gone out?' Cid and Tifa exchanged a gaze. Knowing how suspicious Barrett was of Vincent (just as he had been of Cloud at the very start of the whole AVALANCHE affair) clueing him in didn't seem the wisest of ideas. Tifa was just about to make something up when Red XIII padded up to them.

'Cloud isn't here?' he growled. He poked his head around the door when none of them answered.

'Why, is something wrong?'

'That man on the hill,' Red said, sitting back on his haunches. 'I picked up his scent again.' Cid and Tifa exchanged a glance. This time, Barrett noticed.

'What's going _on_, Tifa?' He elbowed her forcefully. She looked and Cid and he gave her a slight nod.

'We think Vincent's in some kind of trouble. We think that that man on the hill has something to do with it.'

'I shoulda known,' Barrett huffed. 'Thought he could pull one over on us, did he?'

'We can't assume anything,' Tifa said quickly. No-one rushed to back her up. 'Well, we'll just have to look for him ourselves. Red, can you track him?'

The feline raised his snout to the air and breathed in deeply. 'Yes. But places like this overwhelm the senses, so it's a little fainter.'

'I'll get Aeris. We might need her healing skills.' Cid knocked on her door, but there was no answer. He opened it slowly, feeling strangely un-chivalrous about disturbing her, but her room was empty too. 'She's out, too.'

'Oh, _really_?' Tifa followed her arms, her eyebrows knitting together. Barrett shifted on his heels, and then went stomping down the stairs.

'We're wasting time. C'mon, kitty, start tracking!'

'What about Yuffie? Should we get her?' Cid said, taking the stairs two at a time to keep up with Barrett.

'She went to the Wonder Square. I saw her sneak out of her room earlier,' Red said, bounding after Barrett to the head of the lobby.

'I bet _she_ was alone,' Tifa muttered.


	3. The Beginning of the Memory

The Other Demon

~DISCLAIMER: I own none of the characters, concepts etc. as these belong to Square/Enix and this story is solely for entertainment purposes. An AU story wherein Vincent escapes Nibelheim during the experiments with the assistance of an OC…~

3. The Beginning of the Memory

They filed out of the lobby together and stood glancing around at the range of other hotels as they waited for Red to get his bearings.

'The scent of the man on the hill definitely goes to the third hotel from the right,' he nodded. 'But it's freshest in the area leading to the theme park.' They stood in the graveyard 'portals', weighing up their options. Red circled the area twice, his nose fixed to the ground.

Then he stopped in an area with no grave-like portals. 'It's strongest here, but I don't understand…'

Cid knelt by Red, gently running his hands across the ground. His fingers hit a raised bump and he paused. He nodded to the others and soon they had found the outline of what felt like another portal.

'Is this the area that's under construction?' Tifa wondered. Then she took a deep breath and slammed her fist against the ground.

The half-finished portal swung open, revealing a brightly lit tunnel below. 'That looks finished, but we should go down backwards in case we need to climb down.'

Tifa was right about the tunnel- halfway down it dropped off at a right angle and they all had to grab hold of a sheer edge and shimmy down onto a platform left for the builders.

'All this…to help someone you don't even trust?' Cid panted as they climbed, shooting a look at Barrett.

'He knows stuff 'bout Shinra,' he shrugged. 'Keep him around long enough and we might find out what that is. And any knowledge is a weapon against them.' They came to what looked like a fairground in progress and there, standing next to a carousel, was Vincent.

And standing across the space from him was the man on the hill. Up close, he looked even taller, and he was much more solidly built than Vincent was- he was probably several pounds heavier, and he was broad shouldered and muscular. Despite his middle-aged appearance, he exuded a strong and powerful presence.

'I don't fancy his chances if it comes to a fight,' Barrett muttered.

'Shh,' Tifa said. She pulled them down to hide behind the bottom of a stall.

There was a moment's silence. Then a voice broke it, its tones low and hard:

'I'm impressed that you managed to find me down here.'

'Mao-' Vincent started.

'I'm even more surprised that you're travelling with a group.'

The others peered carefully out. They could see the man on the hill, Mao, pacing back and forth while Vincent stayed perfectly still, his red eyes tracking his movements sharply. 'But you've not told them anything, have you?'

Vincent folded his arms. 'It's safer that way.'

'You underestimate yourself.'

'Mao-'

'I need your help, Vincent. Shinra is still living and breathing inside Midgar! They've had the chance to repeat their sins, over and over and over, every day if they want.'

'They're not all like him,' Vincent said softly. 'Mao-'

'You have to help me raze Midgar.' Mao spread his arms wide, marvelling at some unseen picture. 'We can do it, together. Then Shinra will never trouble us again.' Tifa started to get up, one hand already pulling her fighting gloves from her pocket, when Barrett caught her arm.

_Just a little longer, _he mouthed at her. She stopped rising, but stayed in a half crouch, ready to spring at any second.

'There are innocent people in Midgar, Mao.' Vincent was watching Mao with what could only be described as sorrow. Mao stared at him, and then slowly pointed an accusatory finger in Vincent's direction.

'You _owe_ me. Don't you remember?' Mao's hands were shaking and he slammed his fist onto a half-painted carousel horse. The impact rattled through its hollow frame. 'If it wasn't for you, I could be living a normal life in some provincial town!'

'Mao, think. Even if you destroy Midgar, Shinra still have a stranglehold over Junon. And I've heard that they've made inroads into Wutai since they conquered-'

'_And you?_' Mao cried. 'Can you tell me your reason for travelling isn't to exact revenge on the one who did this to you? To build a bloody monument to your precious girl?'

'I'm not helping you, Mao, I-'

'I could kill them all, you know.' Mao's arms were flailing in a burst of angry energy. 'All your little travelling companions, I could kill every last one of them-'

'Mao, stop-'

'Who should I start with? Hmm? The buxom brunette who's too scared to talk to you? The big black man who'd sooner shoot you? The little kitty who'll never brush up against you? Or the girl who's _so_ pretty in pink and well-meaning-'

_'Don't you dare!'_

They all flinched at the sharp crack in Vincent's tone, even Mao. Tifa couldn't recall having ever heard him speak above a murmur, except in battle. And for a second, it seemed as though there was a red glow hovering around Vincent, but then he retreated into himself again, and it vanished.

Mao looked as though he had been hit. Then his hand crept into his pocket.

Vincent went pale and inched backward.

'I don't want to hurt you, Mao.'

Cid gestured to the others and he began to sneak around the edge of the fair, trying to get behind Mao. Red XIII nodded at the others and started to do the same, but from the other direction.

Mao produced a glowing orb of materia, its colour an incandescent white that none of the party had ever seen before.

Then, before Vincent could even draw his weapon, Mao smashed it on the floor. 

Tifa stood up, wanting to race across to pull Vincent clear, but the materia had sent out strange plumes of smoke, and she lost her bearings…she stepped backward, bumping into Barrett, and they clung together while they waited for their vision to clear…

She had a dim feeling that the others were nearby, only the fairground seemed to have vanished, and an image was filling her head, an image of a room she didn't recognise…She looked back at Barrett only to find she could no longer see him.

The image possessed her mind-

The twenty year old Mao was knelt, head bowed, arms chained to the wall. His muscles twitched every now and again and were almost numb enough so that he couldn't feel his aches. Almost. If only he was free, he was sure he could escape… Sweat rolled off his nose. The feel of it dragged him from the half-sleep he had been mired in.

That, and the fact that he was hearing voices that weren't his own, or Hojo's.

'Gast, do you really think he'll help?' The voice was gravelly and accompanied by a cough.

'We've no choice, have we? Not when you're so sure that…' Gast lowered his voice to a mumble and Mao was unable to catch the rest.

The door swung open suddenly, and then there was silence. Mao struggled to drag his heavy head upwards. There were footsteps, and then Gast lifted his head for him. Even with Mao's slightly blurred vision, the look of shock and regret on the scientist's face was unmistakeable.

'So it's true…to think he's gotten away with so much behind my back…' he said softly.

'There's no time for that, Professor.' Another cough. Mao shifted his eyes from Gast to see a Turk hovering behind him.

Then Mao recognised the man.

Vincent.

Gast was still scrutinising him, turning him this way and that like a piece of meat. Mao ground his teeth and pulled away, struggling so hard that the chains rattled against the wall. Gast sprang back, his eyes wide like he'd been bitten by a wild animal. Vincent didn't look surprised. 'Professor, can you give me five minutes with him?'

The scientist looked back at him, then at Mao, who was still rattling his chains behind them. 'Be careful. He might have been a Turk, but who knows what Hojo's done.' The door shut with a click. Vincent turned the lock. He took a few steps forward and Mao noticed how deathly pale he looked, except for a flush that might have been the after effects of a fever.

Vincent looked down at Mao, then slowly brought his nail to his palm.

And he pressed into his skin with crushing force, until it drew blood.

Mao looked up, his eyes growing wide. The Turk hadn't moved. He had one hand outstretched, the bright blood drizzling down it, and his expression was suddenly clam and self-possessed.

And Mao could smell that drop of blood- the hot iron power of it-

A voice was whispering in his head, that this was what he needed and he mustn't stop until he got it-

He hadn't been aware that he had been trying to grab hold of Vincent's bloodied hand until the man shifted backward.

'Is this what you need?' he asked softly. Mao glanced up at him. The red aura of power around the Turk was undeniable.

'You're…a demon.' And what was more; the power of Vincent's demons far exceeded his.

'As are you.' Vincent scrutinised him so intensely Mao felt the man was looking inside him. 'Can you resurrect your strength with my blood and my power?'

'Yes.' Mao shifted on his knees, straining against the chains to reach the drop of blood. It was so close. The Turk- no, the demon- shifted infuriatingly backward.

'And you will assist me in my campaign?'

The demon's voice held him in its thrall; Mao looked up and nodded wordlessly. Mao's own demon screamed at him to speak, its presence filled his mind.

'I could do nothing else, my lord,' Mao heard himself say. Vincent- or whoever it was possessing him- appeared satisfied with that.

'My vessel is weakening. Use my blood to resurrect and help me escape from this town. Under no circumstances do you allow my vessel to die, do you understand?'

Mao nodded again, his breathing growing shallow as Vincent stepped towards him. He snatched Vincent's hand and pressed his tongue to the small cut, consuming the offered blood. The thick metallic power of it sent him over the edge and the demon roared within him and he swung his arms, tearing the chains clear off the wall.

Outside, Gast began to hammer on the door, begging Vincent to unlock it in increasingly panicked tones.

Mao locked one arm around Vincent's waist and bit the cut, opening it to expose more blood. He swallowed and swallowed until Vincent suddenly swayed against him, one hand pressed to his temple.

Mao looked up through the red vision of his demon. 'I'm sorry, my lord.'

'Get me out of here. Please.'

Mao could feel his body changing, the demon urging him to take over. And he had little will left to fight, not if it meant getting out of the damned Shinra Manor, out of Nibelheim.

Just then, Gast's hollering fell silent and the door broke open.

Hojo was standing there, his face pulled into a grim smile, with a pair of Shinra troopers by his side. Another had Gast's arms twisted behind his back and a huge bruise under his eye spoke of a struggle.

But it was too late- Mao's body was covered in a fierce red light. He took a step, the sound of his footsteps carrying a much heavier weight, and appeared remade before them.

Mao's body towered above them all. His horned head scraping the ceiling. His spiny skin reflected the bullets fired by the troopers. Hojo struck the Shinra trooper's arms.

'Stop that. You're more likely to hit us.' His eye caught Vincent and he smirked. 'But I suppose everyone who takes a firearm into their hands gets shot eventually themselves, don't they?'

Gast was struggling to get free, his face red with the effort. 'Hojo! Hasn't this gone far enough? People will be suspicious if our own employees start going missing.' Hojo snapped his fingers and the trooper slammed the rifle butt against Gast's temple. The scientist groaned, slumped over.

Mao's demon turned to Vincent, offering the Turk his arm. Vincent clambered up and wrapped his arms around one of his horns. The creature turned to the wall, summoning a force from deep within itself, and blasted through.

The wings unfolded and they took off into the fading light of evening, Vincent- or the demon looking out from his eyes- watching Hojo watch them fly away. The scientist was holding the muzzle of the trooper's rifle, stopping him firing. But his eyes were completely calm.

~The story (I think) picks up the pace from here. The demon who possesses Vincent throughout this piece is Chaos since I figured the other demons wouldn't be as articulate since they're not as powerful (in other words, they look like they're all brawn). Vincent's more expressive in the past since he (and Mao) were forced to go for broke to survive. Helpful comments welcomed, as always. Let me know what you think of Mao, since I find OC's hard to write in fanfics.~


	4. The Truth About Names

The Other Demon

~DISCLAIMER: I own none of the characters, concepts etc. as these belong to Square/Enix and this story is solely for entertainment purposes. An AU story wherein Vincent escapes Nibelheim during the experiments with the assistance of an OC…~

4. The Truth About Names

They flew far out of the sight of the manor and the town and were soon soaring over the countryside and the plains beyond it.

It was around then that Vincent's grip loosened and the demon only just managed to catch the Turk as he slumped down into an exhausted stupor. They went on like that for a while, until the demon touched down in a shaded meadow by a lake.

Vincent's eyes flickered open and he looked dazedly around. Then his red eyes caught sight of the demon and he froze. The demon's eye swivelled down to his charge.

'It's all right, my lord.'

Vincent's chest rose and fell chaotically. 'Mao?'

'Mao is my vessel, yes.'

Vincent was slowly sitting up now, the demon's arms supporting him. 'Then who are you?'

The demon said nothing for a time. 'Are you ordering me to tell you?'

'Ordering?' Vincent coughed so hard that he grew dizzy; the demon steadied him.

'I see there are many things humans still don't know about our kind. Demons give deference to their superiors. It's the only thing they value, above survival.'

'And- names?'

'Names indicate power. If a demon can avoid showing how powerful they are around superiors, they'll do it.'

'Then…what…?' Vincent's eyes rolled back, the demon looped an arm around him and raised his claw, piercing the thick skin with its nails. It raised the bloody welt to Vincent's mouth. He rubbed his temples, looked up at the creature.

'Please drink, my lord. Demon blood can be rejuvenating- as yours was for me.'

Vincent paused for a second longer, a wretched look in his sunken eyes, before inclining his head to the offering. He took several gulping swallows before shuddering and pushing the offered hand away. The demon didn't push the issue, but took sideways glances at the silent human.

'Where are we?' Vincent said eventually.

'Outside of Nibelheim, in the forest. It seemed safer to get away from human civilisation completely.'

'Really?' he asked. The demon nodded. 'Why here?'

'You ordered me to get you out of the building.'

Vincent blinked. 'I ordered…?' Then he sighed and shook his head. 'Never mind. There's somewhere I have to get to. Will you help me?' The demon nodded again. Vincent stood up, wincing with pain, and turned to face the mountains. 'Somewhere up there is a waterfall. They keep saying that there's materia there that may be powerful enough to separate JENOVA from Lucrecia. That's where I have to go.'

'They? You're possessed by more than one demon?' Even in the demon's vast experience, this was exceedingly unusual. If his body ever recovered, he would surely go mad.

'Sometimes,' he said, 'There's as many as three voices.' Suddenly Vincent leant against a tree, breathing heavily, one hand clamped to his stomach. The demon was by his side in an instant, checking for wounds.

'My lord? What's the matter?'

'It's…_no_thing.'

The demon stared at him. Humans truly were strange. Denying the problem wasn't going to make it vanish. Vincent parted the oversized coat he wore and pressed his fingers against a bandage wrapped around his middle that could be seen through a hole in his shirt. '…See? The wound hasn't opened.'

'We need to get to a town so you can rest.'

'Going back to Nibelheim is dangerous,' Vincent panted.

'Not Nibelheim. The next settlement over. I saw it when we were flying.' The demon's wings twitched as if aching for flight. Vincent looked over his shoulder at the creature.

'I have…to go to the mountains. I told you that.'

'Your demon ordered me to ensure your survival. If you don't recuperate before going, you will be too weak.'

'And my demon's orders outrank my orders, don't they?' Vincent said miserably.

'I won't allow you to hurt yourself.' And, seeing Vincent's gaze flickering around the woods, he added, 'Trying to run is also inadvisable.' The demon seized his shoulder, forcing the man to look into the dark expanse of his pupils. 'I will never let you die, outside of my orders. You don't remember, of course, but I was once a demon with my own body. I picked a fight with my brother, but underestimating how much stronger he was, I was severely wounded. I went in search of water and came upon a village. But before I could get to the well, the humans discovered me. They had muskets and were going to kill me. That's when you arrived. You put yourself in front of me, and said-'

' 'Don't shoot',' Vincent whispered. The demon nodded.

'You were so little then. But you got them to leave me alone, so I could get water. You bought me more time to live as a demon rather than a parasite.' The demon's grip tightened. 'Allowing you to die is something I _cannot allow_.'

'How did you recognise me?'

The demon pointed to Vincent's red eyes, its muscles contorting in what Vincent assumed was the demon equivalent of a smile.

So the Turk squared his shoulders, staring resignedly into the distance. Then he sighed.

'It's dark, I guess. One night in a town is all right.' He glanced at the demon. 'Will Mao be all right?' The demon tipped its head to the side, but nodded.


	5. The Inn

The Other Demon

~DISCLAIMER: I own none of the characters, concepts etc. as these belong to Square/Enix and this story is solely for entertainment purposes. An AU story wherein Vincent escapes Nibelheim during the experiments with the assistance of an OC…~

5. The Inn

Mao reappeared when they reached the town, but he kept a close eye on Vincent even still. Vincent was beginning to understand that both he and Mao were inseparable from the will of their demons now, but whether this would help or hinder him was still a mystery.

The man at the inn in the small village they had come to eyed the pair of them a bit warily and asked them not to cause any trouble, but showed them to a large, empty room regardless. Between paying for room and board, the pair of them were flat broke. Either way, Mao was still glad to get cleaned up and even though Vincent still looked pale, he looked healthier after scrubbing off the sickly colour of mako.

At dinner, Mao wolfed down the simple meal but Vincent struggled, his face turning various shades of grey.

'You'll get worse if you don't eat.'

'I know.' He swallowed another bite, trying to quell the quickly rising nausea. 'I feel empty, but I just can't seem to…'

Mao pointedly nudged the water jug towards Vincent and Vincent poured another glass, draining it a bit at a time.

'If you can't eat, do you mind if I-?'

Vincent pushed the remains of his meal towards Mao and they sat in silence for a time. 'What did he do to you? Hojo, I mean.' Mao licked his fork clean and glanced at Vincent.

'He implanted the essence of a demon into me.' Mao swallowed, gulped down some water. 'I think he'd left me for one of his junior scientists to tamper with when you found me.' Vincent nodded, appearing to think over that, but his gaze was fixed in the distance, and abstracted look on his face. 'What about you?'

'…I don't know.' He got up suddenly and Mao followed him to the room. Vincent sank down on the edge of the bed, shrinking back into his huge coat. After a moment, he went on in a soft voice. 'My demons tell me that my cells are completely remaking themselves.' He looked down, swung his leg slowly back and forth. 'I've no idea what I'll be when it's finished.'

Mao watched him, his face drawn and then plonked down on the bed opposite.

'I can't imagine how long you'd have to sleep for that to happen,' he said breezily.

Vincent looked up, the faintest starts of a smile on his face. 'Probably about thirty years.'

'Maybe so long that Shinra would have completely vanished.'

They smiled, their faces strained, until they both had to look away for a moment. Vincent raised his arm to rub his eyes, his huge sleeves getting in the way. Mao looked up. 'I've been wondering. Why are you wearing that thing? It's way too big for you.'

Vincent held his left arm up, letting the coat sleeve fall back. Underneath, his shirt sleeve was torn away and needle marks were scattered across the bruised skin. Mao stared, openly horrified, at the scars. 'Stops people asking me difficult questions,' he said, letting it fall back.

'Is that…painful?'

'It's stiff from all the injections. But it's not unbearable.'

'Once this is over, someone should stop them from getting away with this,' Mao muttered. 'Expose them to the public, or something.' Vincent said nothing and laid down on the bed, his body deflating as it surrendered to sleep. Mao glanced out of the window, watching the moonlight tracking its way across the forest. After a second he stood, pulled a blanket from the closet and laid it over Vincent and slumped down on his own bed to sleep.

The train they took to the base of the mountain ran deep into the trees. Mao watched the land rush past them, rubbing his eyes. His sleep had been filled with memories that weren't his own- ancient monuments, bloody battlefields.

Vincent touched a finger to Mao's forehead, making him flinch backward. The focus in his eyes told Mao he was speaking to Vincent's demon, and probably the same one as before. 'If you wish, I can set up a barrier between your thoughts and your demon's. Make it easier to hear your own. Otherwise, losing your grip could become a very real possibility.'

'What about if I need my demon's help?'

'You'll be able to communicate with him, but it'll just be a little slower.'

Mao shook his head. 'No. I need a faster takeover to deal with anything.' Vincent pulled back and sank back against the seat. 'Do you need a barrier?'

'No. I need the speed to protect my vessel.' And then, as if hearing Mao's unspoken question, he added, 'I have no intention to fracture the sanity of my vessel any further. I will keep the demons in check and, when I am sure that he will survive, I will propose a more lasting solution.' Mao smiled and glanced out of the window. 'I'm thankful there's someone to help my vessel at a time like this. Wake me when we arrive.'


	6. The Materia

The Other Demon

~DISCLAIMER: I own none of the characters, concepts etc. as these belong to Square/Enix and this story is solely for entertainment purposes. An AU story wherein Vincent escapes Nibelheim during the experiments with the assistance of an OC…~

6. The Materia

They began the long climb up the mountain later that day. They had to stop several times to allow Vincent (no longer possessed) to rest and Vincent's strange hyper-awareness of his surroundings helped Mao, and his demon, to hunt down and scare off the creatures stalking them.

'So my demon tells me we're doing this to help a woman,' Mao said. Vincent didn't reply. He was still winded from ascending the last slope. 'It's Lucrecia Crescent, isn't it?' When Vincent didn't reply, Mao slid a glance at him. 'Doesn't this mean that you'll have to go back to Shinra Manor? To Hojo?'

'She'll still be there. She's probably due to give birth any day now.' Vincent grabbed hold of a rock and pulled himself up a bend in the trail. He glanced back to see Mao had stopped some way down the track.

'You need to live, Vincent.' Mao shook his fist. 'Stop giving everything up for some woman who's not even here when you need her!'

'Is this you talking? Or your demon?'

'It's _me_, Vincent. I'm helping you, and that's fine because you freed me, but I don't want you dying for some highly unworthy cause. That's what'll happen if you don't stop!'

'Calm down, Mao.'

'Everyone said you were in trouble, and trouble you couldn't get out of. Not alone, anyway. But you're not alone. Not anymore.' A demonic light surrounded Mao, casting the hills around them in an eerie glow. Forgetting the demon's bond to him, Vincent shifted backward, his eyes wide. 'If you must help her, then fine! But promise me that you won't get any further involved with her after this. Promise me you'll try to live!'

Vincent stood frozen on the hill as the light around Mao grew more intense. In that light, Mao's solid build looked larger than ever. Vincent tried to speak with the demons inside his head only to meet with complete silence. Mao took a step forward. Vincent stepped back, tripped over a root and fell into the dirt.

'All right, I promise!' He stared up at Mao, winded. 'I promise.' Mao glared down at him for several long seconds before the light around him diminished, then faded. He went up the trail, leaving Vincent lying on his back.

'We're almost there,' Mao called distantly. Vincent lay on the ground for another second before pulling himself up, one hand clamped to the wound, and dragging his feet up the trail.

Then he stopped.

A behemoth had just appeared from around the side of the cliff face. Its head was raised; its muscles tense in a way Vincent knew meant trouble.

'Mao,' he called, inching backward up the path. The monster's head snapped toward him, its back legs tensed like it was going to spring. 'Mao!'

Mao came rushing back down the path, but it was too late, the behemoth was already leaping up, its claws extended in a strike that would disembowel any human for certain. Vincent raised his hand, squeezing his eyes shut.

The behemoth collapsed to the ground with a dull thud. Vincent looked back at Mao, but he was still in his human form, his eyes wide and staring. He looked at the behemoth.

Its skin had been shredded to ribbons. Blood was slipping quietly down the trail, the smell sickening to them both.

'I…did that, didn't I?' Vincent muttered. 'Didn't I?'

'It was like,' Mao stopped, waving his hands in the air like he could summon the words from it. 'Like the thing hit this red… force field, and it tore him up- on the inside.' Vincent breathed in unsteadily and turned to continue up the path. The demons seemed to be compensating for earlier by being deafeningly noisy, reminding him that he would be dead without them. '…Earth to Vincent? Hello?' He looked up, saw Mao watching him. Mao pointed silently. 'Look.'

They had come to a great cliff that stretched back into a cave. Water gushed in a white screen into a round pool far below them. Light broke over the tops of the mountains, the reflection from the water casting a rainbow from certain angles. Crystals stuck out of the rock face, shining with pure, untainted energy.

'This is it,' Vincent murmured. He rushed into the cave to find it lined with crystals. In the centre was a huge, translucent pillar and at its base was the unmistakeable glow of materia. 'This is it!' Vincent dropped to his knees, uprooting the nearest orb he could find. He span around, holding it to reflect the light.

Then he swallowed. 'Mao.' He held the orb to Mao, waiting until the man touched it. 'What do you hear?'

Mao paused, turning his head away from the sound of the rushing waterfall. 'Nothing. I hear nothing.'

Vincent was smiling unabashedly. 'Just imagine. If it's powerful enough to silence our demons, just imagine what it'll do to JENOVA!' Mao pulled back, turned to the entrance.

'Come on. We should get back down the mountain before it gets dark.'

When they boarded the train, Mao and Vincent sat taking turns holding the materia and silencing the voices. After a good while, Mao offered the materia to Vincent. Vincent reached out, about to take it, then paused.

'Mao?' Vincent took hold of the orb, turned it over in his hands. 'I don't want you to go with me back to Shinra Manor.' Mao sat up and Vincent turned to the window. 'Please. Don't argue with me. I don't want to pull rank on you.' Mao nodded and sat the rest of the journey in quiet contemplation. When Vincent offered him the materia to hold, he refused.


	7. The Return to the ManorBetrayal

The Other Demon

~DISCLAIMER: I own none of the characters, concepts etc. as these belong to Square/Enix and this story is solely for entertainment purposes. An AU story wherein Vincent escapes Nibelheim during the experiments with the assistance of an OC…~

7. The Return to the Manor/ Betrayal

They had returned to the manor at the end of the week, so they managed to get through town without being noticed by any staff. Mao followed Vincent silently until they reached the fence in the alley at the back of the manor.

Vincent took hold of the fence, took a breath in as though preparing for battle and turned to face the other Turk. 'Thank you, Mao. I wouldn't have made it all this way if it weren't for you.' Mao nodded, sighed.

'Take care of yourself. You can probably find the staff rota on the door to the library.'

Vincent nodded, turned towards the fence. Then he stopped and slipped his hand into his ragged jacket. He threw a small, egg-like item in Mao's direction. Mao caught it, peering at the dial and switch on the top.

'It's a smoke grenade. You can turn the dial to set how much smog you want, then get a five second head start once you press the switch. It might come in handy if you run into trouble.'

Mao turned it over in his hands. He knew immediately that it was no high-grade Shinra shrapnel. 'You sure it won't blow up on me?'

'Worse thing that'll happen is nothing at all. Two times out of three that happens.' Vincent twisted the tumblers on the padlock, slid it off the gate. 'Take care, Mao. Go live a completely normal life in some provincial town.'

'If only,' Mao said, trying to laugh. He waited until Vincent was inside before raising his hand in a goodbye.

Vincent reached the back door and faced the security lock. He reached inside his jacket, searched for his Turk ID card. It was severely cracked, the identification strip torn down the middle. As he expected, the lock wouldn't recognise the code when he rammed the card home. He turned to the numbers and tried punching in the last code he'd used.

It was correct.

Vincent stared at it, hearing the lock release as though from a great distance. He knew that the password should have been changed at the start of the new month and yet it was the same.

Hojo was expecting his return. Waiting for it, even.

Vincent shuddered and slipped inside the building. Luckily there was no-one in the back storeroom or the corridor leading to the large front room and stairwell.

Lucrecia was most likely to be in the network of rooms down near the library. But if Hojo had really taken over from Gast, then would there be guards blocking the way to the stairwell? Vincent thought over it as he inched along slowly, but he was nearly at the end of the corridor and no closer to a plan that didn't involve being seen openly moving through the manor.

_After all_, he thought grimly, _I may already be too late_.

But when he got to the foyer he saw that there was none of the above.

The rest of the General Affairs department were scattered around, pistols out and pointed towards a behemoth.

A few glanced his way, seemingly relieved for reinforcements. But Vincent was completely unarmed except for a power that could surely kill most of his workmates. He took a step back. The creature raced away from the broken window and down the stairs, meeting with a flurry of bullets.

'Vincent, help!'

Vincent stepped back again. Could he slice the creature to ribbons as he had before? He tried to focus, to call to the demons, but every time he did he felt a rush of power that completely disorientated him. They wanted control. But with control, who knew what they would do?

Vincent clamped a hand to his chest, suppressing the force, as the behemoth raised its claw to strike the nearest Turk. Vincent knew they'd never get away in time and he found himself moving forward, putting himself between the Turk and the creature and raising his hand and hoping for a miracle-

Smoke exploded in between them. Vincent was pulled back out of the range of the creature, a hand gripping his arm and leading him up the stairs-

'Mao!'

'Two times out of every three, huh?' Mao said. 'It's a big gamble to take.' They darted into the back room before the smoke cleared, standing before the doorway of fake books. Vincent glanced across at Mao.

'Thank you. I promise that you'll get away from Hojo unscathed. We both will.'

'You don't have to promise.' Mao fidgeted with his empty pistol. He opened the passage to the library with a flick of his hand. 'You'd better go first. You've got the materia, after all.' They slid down the stairs and into the dark passage, passing another empty storage room en route to the library. But when they reached the end of the tunnel, they found the door to the library had been left ajar and a soft glow emitted from within.

Vincent rushed in, calling out, 'Lucrecia? Lucrecia, are you here?' But the library was empty, all signs of the awful events that had occurred there all but erased. Mao quietly shut the door behind them, waiting whilst Vincent walked up and down the shelves, calling for Lucrecia. But there was no sign of her.

Vincent came back, his face drawn. 'I don't know- maybe she's in the labs…'

Just then, the door to the lab slid open and snapped shut as a scientist came walking through. Vincent tensed, stepping back.

Hojo.

'So _there's_ my little experiment,' he said genially. 'I'm sorry we couldn't put a better homecoming together for you. Amazing how fast the manor goes to pieces when we lose two of our Turks. Maybe you dogs are good for something. After all-'

'Where is Lucrecia?' Vincent said. 'What did you do with her?'

'I didn't do anything with her.' Hojo waved a hand. 'Her role will be over soon enough.'

'_Where is she?_' He stepped forward. 'You're not leaving here until you tell me.' Vincent reached for the heavy gas light still sitting on the corner of the desk when Mao seized his arm, twisted it behind his back. Vincent tried to reach around with his left hand to free himself and flinched as Mao tightened his grip. 'Mao? What are you doing?'

Mao reached inside Vincent's jacket and retrieved the materia, tossing it to Hojo.

'Yes,' Hojo muttered, turning it in his hands, 'This will do.'

Vincent's wide eyes were twisting into a look of desperation and fear. 'Mao, Lucrecia needs that. My demons told me-'

'They lied to you.'

Vincent flinched, turning steadily paler. 'What?'

'That first night outside the manor, your demon took over. It told me that the protomateria would save you from being overwhelmed, so you could recover. It never wanted you to get that materia for Lucrecia.'

'No…no…That's a lie…' Vincent tried to call on his demons' help, but just as before, there was silence. Their united refusal sent Vincent a very clear message and he started to struggle again, but Mao only had to shift his grip a little to send a tearing pain straight into Vincent's shoulder.

Hojo grinned. 'So I set your demon a test. If you had mettle enough to retrieve that materia of your own volition and return, then I would do everything in my power to save your failing shell.' He stepped towards Vincent, running a hand over the desk where various medical instruments still lay. Vincent flinched back, but Mao seized his left arm in a vice-like grip, preventing him from moving. 'Do you really think that I would let the both of you escape so easily?'

Vincent was pressing himself away from Hojo, trying to dislodge Mao's grip. 'Mao, why? Think of what Hojo did to you! We have to stop him and Shinra, remember?' Vincent gasped with pain as Mao's grip tightened and he could barely move at all. Still, he struggled. But the movement made his gunshot wound scream with pain and he blanched, swaying against Mao. 'I wasn't fighting for this all this time…Why do this?'

'Your demon ordered me not to let you die, under any circumstances,' Mao said dully. 'Hojo…may be the only one who can save you.' Mao was holding Vincent's left arm forward, pulling back the sleeve. Hojo picked up a hypodermic needle, squirting liquid out of the end. He turned towards Vincent.

The sight of the thin needle brought unwanted memories flying to the surface and Vincent renewed his struggle against Mao, provoking Mao into tightening his grip again until there was a sickening _CRACK. _

Hojo had the needle in Vincent's arm in that moment and in the next second, the Turk slumped down against Mao, unconscious.

Hojo was still holding his needle-marked left arm, gently prodding at the skin. 'You broke his wrist,' he muttered, probing at the bones. 'Well, I suppose it can't be helped.' Mao pulled Vincent away from the scientist, lifting him from the ground. 'What now, Turk? Don't tell me you regret this?'

'No,' Mao muttered, his voice thick. 'I just don't want you touching him any more than you have to.'

Hojo gestured impatiently towards the table and Mao laid Vincent gently down on its sterile surface-

'_NO!'_ Barrett screamed, stepping towards the table, but with that movement, the illusion was shattered.

Vincent turned, his eyes wide and his skin forever pale, to face his compatriots. The desperation of the last memory seemed to hang around like a shroud, dazing him. 'You…why are you…?'

The group stepped out of their hiding places around the fairground and stood firmly between Vincent and Mao. Tifa circled her arm protectively around Vincent's, trying to pull him back. It was then that he came to his senses. 'You all need to get out of here. This is between me and Mao.'

_CLICK. _They all snapped to attention at the sound of a pistol being loaded. Mao pointed it at each of the group in turn.

'No. I think not. Not when I can make good on my earlier promise to kill you all.'

'What's the matter wit' you?' Barrett snapped, raising his gun-arm. 'You oughta be joinin' us takin' out Sephiroth and the Shinra bigwigs, not forcing Vince down some awful memory lane an' proposing mass murder!'

'I care very little for human life,' Mao said. 'When I gave Vincent back to Hojo, he granted me freedom from his project to begin a new generation of SOLDIERs. But I was unable to fully erect a barrier between myself and my demon. I retreated into the mountains for some time. Finally, one thing became clear: everything that had made me suffer was connected to Shinra.'

'Well, this isn't the way to fix it,' cried Tifa.

'Oh, but there were things,' Mao went on as though he hadn't heard, 'Things even you don't know. One last memory.'

They all shifted back, expecting him to produce another of those strange memory materias.

'I was down in the basement for the first time. Gast ordered me to pick up a book. He thought Hojo wouldn't suspect if he sent someone from outside the inner Science department to get it.' Mao nodded to himself, lost in the memory. Unseen by him, Barrett was gently fine-tuning his gun-arm, a tiny adjustment at a time. 'I assumed it would be in the library…the door was unlocked…but there was this awful smell. I felt like retching when I realised that it was the smell of blood.'

'Mao-' Vincent's look was a fearful as before, as if he could hardly bear to speak. 'Did you-?'

'I opened the door, and there was the hugest bloodstain I'd ever seen on the floor. And on the table was the body of a Turk.'

'No.' Vincent covered his eyes, crumpling as though he'd been hit.

'Yes,' Mao said simply. 'It was you, Vincent.' Tifa put her arm around his shoulders supportively, tears blooming in her eyes as the penny dropped. 'Naively, I called for help and there was no answer. So I went to you. You were burning with fever. I knew it was more than I could handle alone, so I turned to go. But then you grabbed my sleeve. You probably don't remember what you said.'

'Mao, don't,' Tifa begged.

'You said, 'Save her. Please. I'll do anything, only save her.' No matter how many times I asked what had happened to you, that was all you would say. Then you passed out again. And when I turned to go, Hojo was standing in the door, two troopers by his side.' Mao took a breath. 'That's right. It was stopping to help you that sealed my fate. I became Hojo's minor experiment, thrown away for someone else to finish!' He pointed the pistol dead at Vincent's chest. 'My blood is on your hands! If you hadn't been so focused on _her_ all along, I might have gotten away!'

'I'm sorry, Mao,' Vincent said, staring straight at the barrel of the gun with a look of abject regret. 'I'm so sorry…'

Mao stared hard at him, then shrugged. He clicked the safety off the gun casually. 'That's why you can't die for some highly unworthy cause like killing Hojo. Because if you use your life for no good reason, then mine was wasted in saving you.' He flicked the gun at the others. 'Step away. Vincent and I are going to annihilate Shinra.'

'No.' Tifa shook her head. The others nodded their support, stepping in closer. They looked at Vincent, waiting. He took in a breath, gathered himself.

'I can't help you, Mao. What's done is done,' he said. 'The past…is over now. You can't make a better future that way.' He nodded. 'You're confused by the bloodlust of your demon and your own hatred. You didn't have anyone to put out their hand and help you. Not the way I did.' The others glanced at each other, surprised. 'I don't want to let you down, Mao, but I can't hurt anyone else. I can't have any more innocent blood on my hands. If you kill me and the others now, then having your life ruined by saving me will have been all for nothing.'

'BE QUIET!' Mao raised the pistol, his aim swaying across the entirety of the group. Vincent stepped forward, sweeping Tifa behind him when Mao's chest exploded in a sea of red spray.

Barrett had raised his gun-arm. Smoke was issuing from the ends. 'Wasn't sure I could adjust it…so he couldn't hear when I was getting ready to fire…'

Vincent ran to the fallen Mao, pressing his clawed hand against the wound. 'Just stay still and it'll stop and then I'll set up that barrier and you'll be yourself again, you'll see-'

'Vincent, stop.' Mao covered Vincent's claw with his hand. 'It's all right.'

'It wasn't meant to turn out like this,' Vincent pushed harder, trying to dam the flow of blood. Mao winced.

'I can't go on…seeing humans as targets any longer,' Mao whispered. 'I could even have…killed you today.'

'That's why I'm going to fix it, didn't you hear?' Vincent pressed his other hand to the wound, watching the blood stain across Mao's shirt. A broken sound escaped Vincent's throat. He bowed his head to Mao's chest, blood soaking into the edges of his hair. Mao patted his head, looking up at the stars just visible through the scaffolding. 'Gast…Lucrecia…something good has to survive from that time, Mao…or else what sense does it make?'

'You think of me as 'good', huh? I'm glad. I thought you'd never forgive me.' Mao took a shuddering breath. 'Live, Vincent. If you do that…something good survives of that time.' Vincent shook his head, speechless. 'I…was always the _other_ demon…' Mao sighed, as though there was nothing more to be done, and his hand dropped heavily to the ground.

'Mao?' Vincent pulled back, looked through watery eyes at Mao's staring ones. 'Mao!' The others were about to step forward when Vincent put his arm out, warding them off. 'Don't come near or his demon will latch onto you!' As he spoke, a red light began to surround Vincent. It grew brighter, and then faded away. 'I guess now I finally know the name of your demon…your Galian,' Vincent muttered. He stood up just as Mao's body disintegrated into brilliant green light that slipped out of the roof.

Tifa stepped hesitantly forward, laying a hand on Vincent's shoulder. 'I'm sorry, Vincent. It's awful. Every last bit of it.'

'We'll make good,' Barrett said. 'We'll remember Mao. He was another victim of Shinra, may they rot in hell.'

'Yes,' Vincent said softly. He turned to the others, the mask he normally wore softened around the edges. 'We'll stop them from turning us into more victims. For Mao.'

'It's not just Hojo anymore. He's got the entire corporation holding him up,' Red XIII growled. Cid nodded, placing a cigarette in his mouth and chewing on it in thought.

'This is for every Mao out there,' Cid said. 'Not just Midgar and Junon, but Wutai and the Canyon and everyone the world over.'

'Who better to do it but us?' Vincent said, and they all nodded. There was a renewed vigour in their thoughts, even after all the horror, and they walked as one, somehow changed by Vincent's declaration that the group had put out their hand to help him.

_Then_ _we have to put out our hand to help others hurt by Shinra_, Tifa thought. _Maybe next time we can save someone like Mao. _She smiled at Vincent as they climbed out of the shaft. As he reached down to pull her up onto the scaffolding, she remembered something.

'So, Vincent,' she said, 'Where are you from?'

~Well, I hope you enjoyed it (although not many good things happened). The part with the demon was something I thought up at the end. Thank you to those who read the whole way through!~


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